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A useful integral
First, verify the completed square:
2
2 2
u
y2
y
y
y2
u
y2
u2 2
u
i
2 =
2 i 2 2 =
+ iuy.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 2
[[Technical note: To assure convergence of the integral, we must have <e{2 } > 0. When we select a square
root of 2 , we will always take one with <e{} > 0.]]
(
Z +
2 )
2 2
Z +
u
y
u
y2
exp i
du
exp
+ iuy du = exp 2
2
2
2
2
u
y
i
2
2
,
giving
Z
u2 2
+ iuy
exp
2
du =
y 2 /22
x2
2
dx
2 y2 /22
e
.
(1)
x2 ex dx
Z
=
Z0
=
x2 ex dx
2
2
x(xex ) dx.
dv
v
= xex dx
2
= 21 ex
whence
Z
x2 ex dx
Z
=
x(xex ) dx
2
0
Z
2
2
xex
21 ex dx
0
0
Z
x2
1
= 2 00+ 2
e
dx
0
=
.
2
=
1
2
(2)
|(x; 0)|2
2
2
A
ex /2 ei(p0 /h)x
A2 x2 /2
e
Z
(3)
(4)
|(x; 0)|2 dx = A2
ex
/ 2
(5)
so. . .
.
4
A =
h
x2 i =
dx
= A2
x2 |(x; 0)|2 dx
=
=
=
A2
x2 ex
Z +
2 2
/ 2
dx
u2 eu du
[[Use A somewhat less useful integral (2). . . ]]
1
2
A2 2
= 2
=
.
2
2
2
And
2
(x)2 = h
x2 i h
xi = h
x2 i,
so
x = / 2.
(6)
(p; 0) =
ei(p/h)x (x; 0) dx
2h
Z +
2
2
A
1
2h
Now use the useful integral (1) with u = x, = 1/, and y = (p0 p)/h. Note that, as required,
<e{} > 0.
1
A 2 (p0 p)2 2 /2h2
(p; 0) =
e
2h 1/
r
(pp0 )2 2 /2h2
= A
e
.
(7)
h
2
A2 (pp0 )2 2 /h2
e
.
h
Its clear from inspection that this probability density is centered on p0 , and hence that hpi = p0 . If you
feel compelled to produce a more algorithmic proof, then simply evaluate h
p p0 i, which is easily seen to
vanish, to prove that hpi = p0 .
(p)2
=
=
=
=
h(
p p0 )2 i
Z
2 2
2
A2 +
(p p0 )2 e(pp0 ) /h dp
h
3 Z +
2
A2
h
u2 eu du
h
3
2
h
h2
A
=
.
h
2
2 2
So
[[Use u = (p p0 )/h. . . ]]
h
p = .
2
[[Once the momentum representation (7) is in hand, then these calculations are considerably easier than
evaluating things like
Z +
(x; 0)
h
pi =
(x; 0) ih
dx. ]]
x
=
=
Z +
1
0) dp
ei(pxE(p)t)/h (p;
2
h
r Z +
2 2
2
1
A
ei(pxE(p)t)/h e(pp0 ) /2h dp.
h
2
h
Use
p0
= p p0
1 0
(p + p0 )2 t
2m
t
p0
= p02
+ p0 x t + p0 x E(p0 )t
2m
m
px E(p)t =
(p0 + p0 )x
to get
(x; t)
=
=
=
r
Z
02 2
2
A
i(p0 xE(p0 )t)/h +
t
p0 1
exp i p02
e
+ p0 x t
ep /2h dp0
h
2m
m
h
2
h
r
2
0
Z +
i(p0 xE(p0 )t)/h
t
p0
A
p
exp p02
+
i
x
e
exp
i
t
dp0
2
h
2m
h
h
m
2
h
2
h
r
0
Z
p02
p0
A
th
p
i(p0 xE(p0 )t)/h +
exp 2 2 + i
x t
e
exp i
dp0 ,
h
m
h
m
2
h
2
h
p0
t,
m
which plucks our force-free motion heartstrings by reminding us of classical equations like
x
x(t) =
p0
t.
m
But the part the multiplies the k 2 doesnt pluck any heartstring of mine. Write the dimensionless quantity
=1+i
ht
m 2
so the equation is
+
2 2
n
k
p0 o
dk.
exp
exp ik x t
2
m
The integral here is the useful integral (1) with u = k, = , and y = x (p0 /m)t. Note that, as
required, <e{2 } = 2 > 0. Using that integral, we get
r
i(p0 xE(p0 )t)/h 2 (x p0 t)2 /22
m
e
(x; t) = A
e
2
p0
2
2
1
= A ei(p0 xE(p0 )t)/h e(x m t) /2 .
(8)
(x; t)
= A
c. We seek |(x; t)|2 = (x; t)(x; t). Start off by computing, for z = er/ , where r is real and
complex,
1
+
2<e{}
1
2
r/ r/
+
= exp r
= exp r
.
|z| = z z = e
e
= exp r
||2
Thus
A2
p0 2 1
2<e{}
|(x; t)| = exp (x t)
.
m 2 2
||2
2
But
||2 = 1 +
t
h
m 2
2
and
<e{} = 1
so
|(x; t)|2 =
p0
2
2
2
1
e(x m t) / || .
||
(9)
This expression has exactly the same Gaussian form as |(x; 0)|2 , equation (4), except that
xx
p0
t
m
and
where
|| =
1+
||,
t
h
m 2
2
.
p0
t
m
(10)
(x)t =
2
1+
h
t
m 2
2
.
(11)
The center of the wavepacket moves exactly like a classical particle, but the uncertainty spreads out.